The X Chop Glide Bait from Game On! is finally here!
I’ve been working with Game On Lures for the past year designing this bait, and we built it specifically for saltwater anglers targeting big striped bass.
🎣 8 inches ⚖️ 3.25 ounces 💪 Through-wired construction 🔩 Heavy-duty hardware 🌊 Very slow sink rate
The X Chop has an incredible subsurface walk-the-dog action. You can really chop it aggressively, or slow-roll it to get a more subtle swimming action.
And the slow sink is a HUGE part of this bait. When you pause it, it just hangs in the strike zone and gives fish an opportunity to crush it. That pause is going to produce a lot of reaction strikes, especially when the fish aren’t feeding aggressively.
This is a bait designed to make fish eat when they don’t necessarily want to eat.
After a year of development and testing, I’m confident this is going to be a must-have glide bait for any serious inshore striped bass fisherman.
🚨 WE NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE STRIPED BASS FISHERY 🚨
I believe we are watching our fishery collapse before our eyes.
This is the least amount of bunker (menhaden) I have ever seen in my life. The ASMFC has allowed the industrial Omega fleet to remove an enormous amount of our most important forage fish — and now we have virtually no bunker throughout Long Island Sound or the adjacent rivers.
At the same time, we are seeing an explosion of brown sharks, which remain protected. With the bait disappearing, striped bass are becoming the prey.
This is not sustainable.
We cannot deplete the food source while protecting a predator that is putting additional pressure on an already struggling striped bass population.
We need immediate action:
1️⃣ Protect menhaden from further industrial overharvest. 2️⃣ Establish an open harvest season for brown sharks.
And we need to make our voices heard.
🦈 If you have encountered sharks this year, REPORT EVERY ENCOUNTER. There have already been thousands of shark encounters this year that are not being reported, the agencies need the data. For some of you that fish a lot, that could mean hundreds of encounters.
Use the NOAA Shark Depredation Reporting Program to report your encounters. You can also email the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and NOAA. Send the same message to your state representatives and senators.
If you’re on the water and seeing this firsthand, speak up and document it.
Waiting until the data proves there is a crisis may mean there is no fishery left to save.
Please share this and take action. Our future striped bass fishery depends on it.
September and October are hands down the best fishing of the year—this is what we wait all year for!
As the water temperatures start to cool, the fall bait shows up and the fish reach their peak aggression level. The result? Some of the best fishing and topwater action of the entire season! 🎣
Whether you want to throw topwaters, cast lures, or fish live bait, fall offers an opportunity at everything from smaller aggressive fish to giant trophy-sized fish.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to book a trip, THIS IS IT!
📅 September & October dates are filling fast. 🎣 Book your fall trip now and let’s get after them! We have the following openings:
Using Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging to put us right on top of the fish! 🎣🔥
Check out this school of stripers as we’re doubling and tripling up, dropping baits and lures right on their nose. When you can see exactly where the fish are and watch how they react in real time, it takes your game to another level!
This is why mastering your electronics is so important. 👊
Check out the Cast Net Mastery Course inside Captain Mike’s Inshore Academy and learn how to properly throw a cast net, catch more bait, and become more efficient on the water.
And if you want to take your inshore fishing to the next level, Captain Mike’s Inshore Academy on Patreon covers everything from live bait and lure fishing to electronics, techniques, and proven inshore tactics.
Wasn’t expecting this surprise at all, but this thing made an impressive run! You just never know what’s going to end up on the end of your line when you’re out on the water.
I’m hosting an incredible fishing trip to Panama February 6–12, 2027, and I have 3 spots available!
We’ll spend 5 nights Tucan Lodge Panama with 4 full days of fishing, with all meals and drinks included.
This is world-class fishing for: 🐟 Giant Yellowfin Tuna 🐟 Marlin 🐟 Roosterfish 🐟 Cubera Snapper 🐟 Bluefin Trevally 🐟 Grouper & other inshore species
We’ll fish a variety of techniques, including live bait, jigging, popping, and trolling aboard a 32-foot Sea Vee.
The fishing is only part of the experience. Tucan Lodge Panama is a top-notch operation on a small island, with incredible ocean views, comfortable lodging, home-cooked meals, and a variety of local cuisine.
If catching giant tuna, marlin, roosterfish, cubera and other hard-fighting tropical species is on your bucket list, this is a trip you don’t want to miss!
🔥 ONLY 3 SPOTS REMAIN!
📩 Contact me for pricing and more information or to reserve your spot.
🎣 One of my favorite setups for targeting big stripers!
Check out Melton International Tackle MeltonTackle.com for a huge selection of inshore tackle.
When I’m casting live eels or big topwater plugs, this is my go-to setup:
🎣 G. Loomis IMX Pro Blue 844S MF 🎣 Shimano North America Fishing Saragosa 6000 🎣 50-lb PowerPro Super Slick 🎣 60-lb AFTCO fluorocarbon leader 🎣 6/0 or 7/0 Gamakatsu USA inline circle hook
It’s a powerful, versatile setup that gives you the backbone you need when a big striper eats—and the sensitivity to work your presentation properly.
We still have the following openings for the rest of the summer fishing season. If you’ve been waiting to get out and target a big striper, now is the time!
State agencies continue to say they need more data before taking action and that the increase in sharks is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. I understand that argument in principle. Healthy shark populations are an important part of a balanced marine environment.
The problem is that the data they’re relying on isn’t keeping pace with what’s happening on the water. By the time enough data is collected, analyzed, and acted upon, the fishery could already be significantly altered. What we’re seeing every day is happening in real time, while management decisions are based on information that’s already months or years behind.
From the perspective of those of us on the water every day, this ecosystem is no longer balanced. Shark encounters have become so common that it’s nearly impossible to target striped bass without sharks showing up. You can actively move away from them, change locations, and still hook double-digit sharks in just a few hours of fishing.
This isn’t an isolated observation—it’s become the everyday reality across much of eastern Long Island Sound. When sharks are disrupting nearly every striped bass trip, that’s a strong indication that predator-prey dynamics have shifted dramatically.
We don’t need to eliminate sharks, and no one is arguing that they don’t belong here. But management also has to recognize when a population has grown to the point that it’s affecting other fisheries. Waiting years for the data to catch up risks allowing the imbalance to become even more severe.
We urgently need managers to consider a regulated harvest season as part of the solution. If we continue waiting for historical data to confirm what fishermen are already experiencing every day, we risk reaching a point where targeting striped bass—or many other species—becomes impossible because sharks dominate the fishery. ... See MoreSee Less
Watching a fish like this swim away never gets old. This incredible 51-inch striped bass is exactly why August is one of the best times of the year to be on the water.
🎣 We still have openings this week: 📅 Thursday 📅 Friday
If you’ve been waiting for your shot at a fish of a lifetime, this is it. These dates won’t last long.
📲 Book online or send me a message before they’re gone!
We just had a couple of cancellations, which means Thursday and Friday are now available.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to chase a true trophy striped bass, this is it. August is prime time for our biggest fish of the season, and we’re seeing quality bass feeding on live bait throughout Long Island Sound.
Whether you want to throw artificials or fish live bunker and eels, now is your chance to hook the fish of a lifetime.
This wasn’t a one-off encounter. We landed three brown sharks measuring 5–6 feet in the Connecticut River in about 15 minutes.
The reality is these sharks aren’t just scattered around anymore—you can’t get away from them. Throughout the eastern Long Island Sound, nearly every school of striped bass we’re finding has brown sharks mixed in with them.
It’s an incredible fight on light tackle, but it’s also a major change in our fishery that’s impossible to ignore.
Have you been seeing the same thing this season? ... See MoreSee Less
If you’ve been dreaming of landing the striped bass of a lifetime, August is prime time. Big fish are settled into their summer pattern, and this is one of the best opportunities of the year to target true trophy bass.
If you’ve been waiting all season for your shot at a true trophy striper, this is it. August consistently produces some of the biggest bass of the year, and we’re dialed in with live bunker and live eels targeting these giants.
youtu.be/-3siPC6GePo?is=cP0lPwtK4qk1njl2 ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚨 NEW PRODUCT ALERT 🚨
The X Chop Glide Bait from Game On! is finally here!
I’ve been working with Game On Lures for the past year designing this bait, and we built it specifically for saltwater anglers targeting big striped bass.
🎣 8 inches
⚖️ 3.25 ounces
💪 Through-wired construction
🔩 Heavy-duty hardware
🌊 Very slow sink rate
The X Chop has an incredible subsurface walk-the-dog action. You can really chop it aggressively, or slow-roll it to get a more subtle swimming action.
And the slow sink is a HUGE part of this bait. When you pause it, it just hangs in the strike zone and gives fish an opportunity to crush it. That pause is going to produce a lot of reaction strikes, especially when the fish aren’t feeding aggressively.
This is a bait designed to make fish eat when they don’t necessarily want to eat.
After a year of development and testing, I’m confident this is going to be a must-have glide bait for any serious inshore striped bass fisherman.
The X Chop Glide Bait is here. 🔥
#GameOnLures #XChop #GlideBait #StripedBass #StripedBassFishing ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚨 WE NEED IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THE STRIPED BASS FISHERY 🚨
I believe we are watching our fishery collapse before our eyes.
This is the least amount of bunker (menhaden) I have ever seen in my life. The ASMFC has allowed the industrial Omega fleet to remove an enormous amount of our most important forage fish — and now we have virtually no bunker throughout Long Island Sound or the adjacent rivers.
At the same time, we are seeing an explosion of brown sharks, which remain protected. With the bait disappearing, striped bass are becoming the prey.
This is not sustainable.
We cannot deplete the food source while protecting a predator that is putting additional pressure on an already struggling striped bass population.
We need immediate action:
1️⃣ Protect menhaden from further industrial overharvest.
2️⃣ Establish an open harvest season for brown sharks.
And we need to make our voices heard.
🦈 If you have encountered sharks this year, REPORT EVERY ENCOUNTER. There have already been thousands of shark encounters this year that are not being reported, the agencies need the data. For some of you that fish a lot, that could mean hundreds of encounters.
Use the NOAA Shark Depredation Reporting Program to report your encounters. You can also email the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and NOAA. Send the same message to your state representatives and senators.
If you’re on the water and seeing this firsthand, speak up and document it.
Waiting until the data proves there is a crisis may mean there is no fishery left to save.
Please share this and take action. Our future striped bass fishery depends on it.
NOAA NOAA National Ocean Service ... See MoreSee Less
131 CommentsComment on Facebook
🔥 FALL FISHING IS COMING! 🔥
September and October are hands down the best fishing of the year—this is what we wait all year for!
As the water temperatures start to cool, the fall bait shows up and the fish reach their peak aggression level. The result? Some of the best fishing and topwater action of the entire season! 🎣
We’ll be chasing:
🐟 Striped Bass
💨 False Albacore & Bonito
🐟 Bluefish
💥 Sea Bass
Whether you want to throw topwaters, cast lures, or fish live bait, fall offers an opportunity at everything from smaller aggressive fish to giant trophy-sized fish.
If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to book a trip, THIS IS IT!
📅 September & October dates are filling fast.
🎣 Book your fall trip now and let’s get after them! We have the following openings:
9/1 5:15am
9/4 10:30am
9/8 10:30am
9/9 10:30am
9/10 1:15pm
9/11 10:30am
9/12 5:15am & 10:30am
9/14 5:15am & 10:30am
9/15 5:15am & 11:00am
9/16 10:30am
9/17 6:00am
9/17 6:00am
9/23 10:00am
9/24 11:30am
9/29 11:30am
Book now online!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
Using Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging to put us right on top of the fish! 🎣🔥
Check out this school of stripers as we’re doubling and tripling up, dropping baits and lures right on their nose. When you can see exactly where the fish are and watch how they react in real time, it takes your game to another level!
This is why mastering your electronics is so important. 👊
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎣 Want to MASTER the cast net?
Check out the Cast Net Mastery Course inside Captain Mike’s Inshore Academy and learn how to properly throw a cast net, catch more bait, and become more efficient on the water.
And if you want to take your inshore fishing to the next level, Captain Mike’s Inshore Academy on Patreon covers everything from live bait and lure fishing to electronics, techniques, and proven inshore tactics.
👉 Sign up today and start learning! 🎣
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
10 CommentsComment on Facebook
Hooked into a big cow-nose ray! 🐟
Wasn’t expecting this surprise at all, but this thing made an impressive run! You just never know what’s going to end up on the end of your line when you’re out on the water.
Definitely a cool catch!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎣 PANAMA 2027 — 3 SPOTS OPEN! 🇵🇦
I’m hosting an incredible fishing trip to Panama February 6–12, 2027, and I have 3 spots available!
We’ll spend 5 nights Tucan Lodge Panama with 4 full days of fishing, with all meals and drinks included.
This is world-class fishing for:
🐟 Giant Yellowfin Tuna
🐟 Marlin
🐟 Roosterfish
🐟 Cubera Snapper
🐟 Bluefin Trevally
🐟 Grouper & other inshore species
We’ll fish a variety of techniques, including live bait, jigging, popping, and trolling aboard a 32-foot Sea Vee.
The fishing is only part of the experience. Tucan Lodge Panama is a top-notch operation on a small island, with incredible ocean views, comfortable lodging, home-cooked meals, and a variety of local cuisine.
If catching giant tuna, marlin, roosterfish, cubera and other hard-fighting tropical species is on your bucket list, this is a trip you don’t want to miss!
🔥 ONLY 3 SPOTS REMAIN!
📩 Contact me for pricing and more information or to reserve your spot.
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎣 One of my favorite setups for targeting big stripers!
Check out Melton International Tackle MeltonTackle.com for a huge selection of inshore tackle.
When I’m casting live eels or big topwater plugs, this is my go-to setup:
🎣 G. Loomis IMX Pro Blue 844S MF
🎣 Shimano North America Fishing Saragosa 6000
🎣 50-lb PowerPro Super Slick
🎣 60-lb AFTCO fluorocarbon leader
🎣 6/0 or 7/0 Gamakatsu USA inline circle hook
It’s a powerful, versatile setup that gives you the backbone you need when a big striper eats—and the sensitivity to work your presentation properly.
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
Scott with a giant summertime cow! 🔥🎣
We still have the following openings for the rest of the summer fishing season. If you’ve been waiting to get out and target a big striper, now is the time!
8/14 10:30am
8/25 4:00pm
8/27 10:30am
9/1 5:15am
9/3 4:00pm
9/4 10:30am
Book your trip before these dates are gone!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
A school of cow nose rays swam by the boat off the Old Saybrook shoreline.
#minnkota #humminbird #FishShimano #aftco #meltontackle ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
State agencies continue to say they need more data before taking action and that the increase in sharks is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. I understand that argument in principle. Healthy shark populations are an important part of a balanced marine environment.
The problem is that the data they’re relying on isn’t keeping pace with what’s happening on the water. By the time enough data is collected, analyzed, and acted upon, the fishery could already be significantly altered. What we’re seeing every day is happening in real time, while management decisions are based on information that’s already months or years behind.
From the perspective of those of us on the water every day, this ecosystem is no longer balanced. Shark encounters have become so common that it’s nearly impossible to target striped bass without sharks showing up. You can actively move away from them, change locations, and still hook double-digit sharks in just a few hours of fishing.
This isn’t an isolated observation—it’s become the everyday reality across much of eastern Long Island Sound. When sharks are disrupting nearly every striped bass trip, that’s a strong indication that predator-prey dynamics have shifted dramatically.
We don’t need to eliminate sharks, and no one is arguing that they don’t belong here. But management also has to recognize when a population has grown to the point that it’s affecting other fisheries. Waiting years for the data to catch up risks allowing the imbalance to become even more severe.
We urgently need managers to consider a regulated harvest season as part of the solution. If we continue waiting for historical data to confirm what fishermen are already experiencing every day, we risk reaching a point where targeting striped bass—or many other species—becomes impossible because sharks dominate the fishery. ... See MoreSee Less
74 CommentsComment on Facebook
🔥 51 inches of pure Connecticut trophy! 🔥
Watching a fish like this swim away never gets old. This incredible 51-inch striped bass is exactly why August is one of the best times of the year to be on the water.
🎣 We still have openings this week:
📅 Thursday
📅 Friday
If you’ve been waiting for your shot at a fish of a lifetime, this is it. These dates won’t last long.
📲 Book online or send me a message before they’re gone!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
20 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚨 Last-Minute Openings This Week! 🚨
We just had a couple of cancellations, which means Thursday and Friday are now available.
If you’ve been waiting for the right time to chase a true trophy striped bass, this is it. August is prime time for our biggest fish of the season, and we’re seeing quality bass feeding on live bait throughout Long Island Sound.
Whether you want to throw artificials or fish live bunker and eels, now is your chance to hook the fish of a lifetime.
📅 Openings:
8/6 10:30am
8/7 10:30am
8/18 4:00pm
8/20 5:15am
8/25 4:00pm
8/27 10:30am
9/1 5:15am & 10:30am
9/3 4:00pm
9/4 10:30am
These dates won’t last long. Send me a message or book online today and let’s put you on a giant striper!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎥 Three brown sharks in 15 minutes.
This wasn’t a one-off encounter. We landed three brown sharks measuring 5–6 feet in the Connecticut River in about 15 minutes.
The reality is these sharks aren’t just scattered around anymore—you can’t get away from them. Throughout the eastern Long Island Sound, nearly every school of striped bass we’re finding has brown sharks mixed in with them.
It’s an incredible fight on light tackle, but it’s also a major change in our fishery that’s impossible to ignore.
Have you been seeing the same thing this season? ... See MoreSee Less
77 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎣 August = Trophy Striper Season! 🎣
If you’ve been dreaming of landing the striped bass of a lifetime, August is prime time. Big fish are settled into their summer pattern, and this is one of the best opportunities of the year to target true trophy bass.
📅 The following dates are still available:
8/5 5:00am
8/6 10:30am
8/11 4:00pm
8/12 10:30am
8/13 4:00pm
8/18 4:00pm
8/19 10:30am
8/20 5:15am, 10:30am & 4:00pm
8/24 10:30am
8/25 10:30am& 4:00pm
8/27 10:30am & 4:00pm
These openings won’t last long. If you’ve been thinking about booking a trip, now is the time.
📲 Book online or send me a message to reserve your date. Let’s put you on the fish of a lifetime!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
🎣 Last-Minute Opening! 🎣
We have ONE opening this Monday at 10:30 AM during the prime time of the season for trophy striped bass! 🔥
If you’ve been waiting for your shot at a true giant, this is it. We’re fishing with live bait and the big fish are on the feed.
📅 Monday – 10:30 AM
📲 Book online now or message me directly before it’s gone!
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
🚨 August is Prime Time for Trophy Striped Bass! 🚨
If you’ve been waiting all season for your shot at a true trophy striper, this is it. August consistently produces some of the biggest bass of the year, and we’re dialed in with live bunker and live eels targeting these giants.
We have the following dates still available:
8/4 10:30am & 4:00pm
8/5 5:00am
8/6 10:30am
8/10 10:30am
8/11 4:00pm
8/12 10:30am
8/13 4:00pm
8/17 10:30am
8/18 10:30am & 4:00pm
8/19 10:30am
8/20 5:15am, 10:30am & 4:00pm
8/24 10:30am
8/25 10:30am & 4:00pm
8/27 10:30am & 4:00pm
Don’t miss your opportunity to land the fish of a lifetime.
🎣 Book online now or contact me directly to reserve your trip before these dates are gone.
#MinnKota #Humminbird #FishShimano #Aftco #MeltonTackle ... See MoreSee Less
1 CommentsComment on Facebook
youtu.be/fwacz-h_C9k?is=zfKefSstedmHWQtq ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
Sometimes we get them on the fly too!
#minnkota #humminbird #FishShimano #aftco #meltontackle ... See MoreSee Less
0 CommentsComment on Facebook